Guardrails such as balcony balustrades



Nov. 19, 1968 A. G. 808 3,411,752

GUARDRAILS SUCH AS BALCONY BALUSTRADES Filed Jan. 25, 1967 United StatesPatent 47,645 7 Claims. (Cl. 256-22) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thepresent invention is directed to a guardrail construction which may bedelivered to the site of erection in a knock-down condition and quicklyerected with a minimum of effort and time. The top and bottom rails areof channel cross secton with inwardly directed stops. The web of eachrail is provided with spaced slots therethrough which are 'complementalto the cross section of the spacer bars carried therebetween. Eachspacer bar has a pair of spaced openings proximate their free ends,which openings cooperate with the stops on the top and bottom rails andthe inner side of the webs of the rails to lock the spacer bars andrails into a unitary rigid construction when U-shaped pins are passedthrough the openings, the locking pins may be welded in place whenassembled and a smooth cover plate slid over the entire construction.

This invention relates to a new kind of aesthetic guardrail such as abalcony balustrade, that can be conveniently and rapidly constructedwith sectional members and simple securing means such as pegs inparticular.

Already well-known are railings and guardrails consisting basically ofbars assembled to handrails, using ordinary pegs, the bars and handrailsbeing obtained by parting off light alloy sections of two differentkinds.

In order, however, to ensure satisfactory rigidity of an assembled barand handrail, it is necessary to use heavy sections in the case of thebars, thereby involving considerable quantities of material for theirmanufacture and delicate opertions for their assembly.

In the case of such railings, each handrail consists of a flattenedU-shaped web having openings formed therein the contours of which matchthe cross-section of the bars in order that the latter may be insertedinto these openings until their end-sections butt against transverselyextending thrust flanges formed on the sides of the U-section, oppositethe web.

Due, however, to the clearance which must unavoida-bly be provided inthe handrail openings to permit free engagement of the bars thereinto,rigid assembly of such bars with the handrail can be satisfactorilyensured only by means of two cooperating zones on thetwo elements, whichzones are spaced as far apart from each other as possible.

Recourse has therefore been had, in the case of the bars, to sectionswith a hollow Web having two sufliciently spaced opposite walls and, inone form of embodiment, a peg extends through these two opposite wallsand reacts against the handrail surface facing the thrust flanges. Butthe manufacture of sections with hollow webs calls for costlydie-stocks; further, engaging a peg through two spaced walls insuccession requires, for effective assembling, that complementaryguiding means he provided accurately on the peg and the handrail web. Inaddition, serious difficulties are encountered in assembling inclinedbars to the handrails of sloping staircase balustrades, since in suchcases a peg can be effectively engagedobliquely only through one wall ofthe hollow bar; more- 3,411,752 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 ice over,punching through a hollow part obliquely is an inconvenient and hencecostly machining operation.

In an alternative constructional form resorted to heretofore, assemblyis effected with two pegs, each of which is engaged into a sufficientlylong conduit formed by two mutually opposed longitudinal channelsprovided respectively on one of the faces of the bar and on a guidingsurface formed on the inner side of the handrail. On the other hand,engaging a peg through a fairly long conduit constituted by two mutuallyindependent elements is obviously a delicate and not very practicaloperation which furthermore calls for a costly corresponding adaptationof the side of the bar.

The present invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks andto accordingly provide rigid railings capable of being rapidly andconveniently assembled or even dismantled, such railings comprising twohandrail sections similar to the U-shaped handrails describedprecedingly, in which are assembled light bars of pleasing appearance,using a simple device and particularly a peg bearing against thehandrail surface facing the thrust flanges.

In accordance with the invention, each bar is formed with a thin solidweb each edge of which is divided into two flanges shaped tosubstantially form a longitudinal dihedron, assembly being effectedthrough the medium of two securing points spaced as far as possible fromthe longitudinal centerline of the bar and from each other.

Preferably, the securing points are obtained by welding the end-sectionof the bar to the handrail thrust flanges, or by means of two pegsextending through the thin web of the bar, level with the handrail web.

Manifestly, the end-section of the bar may have a bearing surface forcooperation with the thrust flanges that is substantially equivalent tothat of a tubular member of rectangular cross-section, but on the otherhand a bar having a thin web will permit substantial savings of materialin comparison with such a tubular member, as well as obviating the needfor dies with mandrels, and consequently reducing the cost offabrication. Further, welding limited to localized areas or engaging apeg through a single thin wall presents no difficulty even should suchengagement be carried to the point of a force fit, so that pegs ofconventional shape may be used. Moreover, such assembly methods'areentirely suitable for obtaining sloping staircase balustrades.

Such conventional pegs are preferably rigidly united with each other andform fork prongs, whereby such a built-up element permits simultaneousengagement of the two pegs into the thin web and results in aconsiderable saving in assembly labor costs.

The present invention further relates to an economical type of sectionalmember which is characterized in that it comprises a thin web each edgeof which is divided into two longitudinal flanges which jointly formsubstantially a dihedron, said flanges being bulged to varying degreesand being possibly ribbed for greater eye-appeal.

Preferably, the flanges of the sectional member are arrangedsymmetrically in relation to the web thereof as well as in relation tothe transverse centerplane through the web, whereby a dual symmetry isachieved which greatly assists rapidity of assembly of the bars engaginginto the sectional member since it obviates the need for any kind ofselection before engaging the bars into the handrail openings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of two rails and of bars about to beassembled thereto to form a balustrade according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows in cross-section the balustrade obtained with theelements in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale of the bar used inFIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURES 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d show in cross-section, on a smaller scale, fouralternative types of bars in accordance with the present invention.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown thereon a lower rail51a and an upper rail 51b, both of which consist of identical lightaluminium alloy sections and have a shallow U-shape in cross-section.

Said sections additionally have a longitudinal symmetry plane, and thesides 52 of the U are formed with inswept rims 53 the facing edges ofwhich leave a longitudinal channel therebetween.

The web 54 of the section, which corresponds to the base of the U, isformed with a plurality of uniformly spaced openings 55 therein, thecontours of which match the cross-section of the bars 56 which they areadapted to receive. The inner faces of rims 53 form transverselyextending thrust surfaces against which the end-sections of theperfectly upright bars can butt.

Each bar 56 consists basically of a solid thin web 57 each edge of whichis divided into two flanges 58 which jointly form, substantially, adihedron. These identical flanges are arranged symmetrically in relationto the longitudinal and transverse centerplanes of the web. Since theseplanes are mutually perpendicular, the symmetry axis of the bar will bethe intersection line of the two planes.

Lastly, each bar 56 is secured to the lower rail, as will be explainedin greater detail hereinafter, by the prongs of a fork 59 which engageinto holes 60 formed in the bar web 57 and which bear tangentiallyagainst that surface of web 54 which faces the rail rims 53 acting asthrust surfaces.

It will now be readily appreciated that it is possible to assemble a'balustrade from two sets of elements, supplied respectively at thelengths required to form rails 51 and upright bars, the webs of bar 56having been previously formed with holes 60 at a distance 1 from theends of the bars equal to the distance separating the inner faces ofrims 53 from rail web 54.

Such assembly operation consists in the steps of:

(a) engaging one end of each "bar into one of the openings in the lowerrail 51b until it butts against the transverse thrust surfaces 53;

(b) driving the prongs of forks 59 into the holds 60 by thrustingagainst the web 54, this operation being facilitated by the pointed endsof the prongs, which prongs thus act as conventional pegs;

(c) engaging the free ends of the bars into the corresponding openingsin the upper rail 51a; and

(d) assembling the bars to said rail by a egging process as hereinbeforedescribed.

The upper ends of the bars can then be masked by a handrail 61 in theform of a thin aluminium section each side of which is formed with anoutswept surface and an inswept surface.

The handrail may be engaged over the longitudinal upper rail andrestrained thereon by an elastic clip-on effect, with comparativelylight pressure.

The lower ends of the bars can also be masked by similarly engaging,over the lower longitudinal rail, a lining 62 formed with spring flangeswhich securely clip into the gap between ridges formed on the facingrims of the rails.

It is to be noted that despite the ease with which a conventional peg 59can be engaged into the thin web 57, the spacing 2 between the twoprongs of the peg ensures a rigid engagement in the transverse sense.Further, longitudinal mutual engagement is ensured by the fact that thefull length L of each peg bears against the rail web; moreover, the factthat the peg is a force fit may result in advantageous elasticdeformation of the web.

Thus, having regard for the manufacturing tolerances in such elements,it is possible with such an assembly to balance the varied loads which abalustrade bar and rail may be called upon to withstand.

It is furthermore possible to rigidly assemble oblique bars tolongitudinal rails without particular difficulty, with a view toconstructing a sloping staircase balustrade.

This can be accomplished by providing openings of width somewhat greaterthan in the case just discussed; in this way, the opposite faces of abar engaged obliquely into such an opening will bear against diagonally0pposed lips of the opening, respectively. The hole must also be oflarger size so that pegging forks of standard dimensions can be clampedbetween the web and the upper lip of the corresponding hole.

It has been found that, notwithstanding the clearances, the elasticdeformation of the web ensures rigid engagement.

It would additionally be possible, within the scope of the presentinvention, to very economically assemble straight or oblique bars to therails by spot-welding the edges of the thrust flanges to theend-sections of the bar flanges. Such securing points widely spaced fromthe bar centerplane would also permit rigid engagement.

Finally, the unusually aesthetic appearance of the bar 56 is to benoted, despite the fact that its shape is fairly similar to aconventional I-section.

The rounded flange edges 63 (see FIGURE 3) and the insweeps 65 and 66have radii of curvature which are carefully chosen and blend in with thesubstantially thinned down middle part 67 of the web. This results inpleasantly rounded shapes, and it is diflicult to see how it would bepossible to devise a thin-webbed section providing end bearing-sectionscomparable to those of the customary tubular section while at the sametime yielding to aesthetic requirements.

It should be noted in this connection that the sections can be contouredto suit the kind of lighting to which the bulustrades are to be exposed.Such alternative embodiments (see FIGURES 4a to 4d) can be formed inaddition with longitudinal ribs which lend themselves particularlywell'to the obtainment of shadow effects.

Although I have disclosed herein the best forms of the invention knownto me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A demounted quick assembly guardrail construction, comprising;

(a) a base rail and a top rail of generally channeled cross-section, theweb of the channel being wider than the upstanding flanges defining aweb and the free ends of the legs of the flanges being directed inwardlyto form stop means,

(b) the web portion of each rail having spaced slots therethrough theends of which extend to each side of the major axis of said slot,

(c) spacer bars having a web the cross-section of which is complementalto the slots in the web portion of said base and top rail and whichtogether with the slots and inwardly directed flanges on said top andbase rail define a rigid four point contact between the spacer bars andtop and bottom rail, said spacer bar webs having adjacently spacedopenings proximate the ends thereof lying in the plane of the web; and

((1) locking means adapted to be received through the adjacently spacedopenings in said spacer bar webs when the spacer bars have been passedthrough the slots in the webs of said top and base rail so that the freeends of the spacer bars engage the inwardly directed stop means on saidbase and top rail, said locking means abutting over a major portion ofits area against the inner surface of the web of said base and top rail.

2. The construction of claim 1 further comprising closure cover meanssnuggly receivable over at least the top rail and having a geometricshape complemental t0 the top rail in its inverted condition to coverthe open portion of said top rail to prevent tampering with the lockingmeans and to hide same from view leaving a smooth uninterrupted surfaceto the hand of the beholder.

3. A guardrail construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lockingmeans when in place are welded to the web of said base and top rail toprevent removal.

4. A guardrail as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking means areU-shaped staple-like members having a cross-section complemental to theopenings through the web of the spacer bars.

5. A guardrail construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spacerbars have webs, flanges extending to each side of the web at a flaredangle to the major axis of the webs.

6. A guardrail construction as claimed in claim 5 wherein the flangesare arcuate.

7. A guardrail construction as claimed in claim 5 wherein the flangesare straightlined in cross-section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,376,150 4/1921 Miller.1,791,680 2/ 1931 Miller. 2,066,426 1/ 1937 Skilnik 256-22 2,808,23310/1957 Spescha 256-22 2,919,113 12/1959 Cofield 256-22 X 3,212,754 10/1965 Revell et al. 25622 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,103 7/ 1904 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner.

